Slipped Away
by promise.me.forever
Summary: Gabriella made her way back into the dressing room, her eyes filling with tears. She didn’t want to wear this dress. She wanted to wear a flowing white one, as the bride of Troy Bolton. But she knew that would never happen. [OneShot]


A/N: A one shot I thought of…I think it's sad. I used parts of the song Slipped Away, by Avril Lagivne. Anywho, hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical, or any part of the song.

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_The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found it won't be the same  
_------------------------------------------------

"Congratulations, Sharpay!" someone cheered in the next room. It seemed the arrangements and plans for Sharpay Evans and Troy Bolton's wedding was already beginning; only after announcing it moments before. Twenty-five year old Gabriella Montez found herself sitting alone by Taylor's fire place, while everyone celebrated in the next room. She sniffled loudly as she sipped her coffee and stared back into the orange flames. Sure she had congratulated them, proclaimed she was ecstatic, but inside was a different story.

After she and Troy broke up after high school, she convinced herself she needed to move on. Sure she tried, Hell, she must've dated half the male population in her hometown. However, in each and every one of them, she always found one flaw; something that ceased her relationship with them. They simply weren't Troy. It wasn't until her junior year of college when she gave up; realizing she was still in love with Troy Bolton. She never told anyone about her heartache, fearing the responses she would receive; especially when he started dating Sharpay. The gang had stayed in touch during college; getting together a couple times a month to visit and spend time with each other, talking about old times in high school. Seeing Troy during these killed Gabriella a little inside; knowing she couldn't intertwine her fingers with his any longer.

She took another sip out of her mug, letting the cold, bitter taste of the coffee fill her mouth. She sniffled loudly as she heard someone enter the room. Gabriella slowly looked up, only to find Troy standing in the door frame, leaning against it lazily.

"Hey," he greeted quietly.

Gabriella switched her gaze down at her mug, watching the liquid swish around in the glass as she moved it around. "Hi," she replied softly.

He soundlessly made his way over to the armchair she was seated on. "Are you okay?" he asked, seating himself on the arm of the chair.

She looked up at him, into his bright blue eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," she lied.

Troy saw right through her. "Gab, I've known you for almost ten years. What's wrong? Why aren't you celebrating with the rest of us?" he inquired kindly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing, Troy. Really, I'm fine. It was getting too stuffy in there," she made up pathetically, but savored the feeling of his touch as his hand pulled away from the behind her ear.

He eyed her suspiciously, but nonetheless stood up. "If you say so," he said before bending down, hugging her awkwardly. "You know I'm always here for you, right?" he whispered in her ear.

Gabriella felt the tears well up in her eyes as she nodded into his neck. He broke away and smiled, before walking out of the room.

----

"I can't believe I'm getting married! And to Troy Bolton!" Sharpay exclaimed happily as the walked downtown, looking Gabriella's Maid of Honor dress.

"Yeah," Gabriella replied emotionless.

Sharpay seemed to take no notice, because she pointed to a window excitedly. "Oh, Gabi, you should try this one on! I bet it would look fabulous!" she yelled.

Gabriella followed her gaze, and saw the dress she was pointing too. It was a teal blue dress; one that was very similar to what she had worn to her junior prom. Memories took over her brain, remembering the night clearly in her mind.

_Flashback_

_A very nervous sixteen year old Troy Bolton stood outside Gabriella's front door, pacing. Suddenly the door opens, revealing Gabriella standing in it, wearing a gorgeous, flowing teal dress. Troy stops pacing, staring at the beautiful girl in front of him. _

"_I…um…uh…" he stumbled, still staring at her speechless. _

_Gabriella looked at him nervously. "Is that a good thing?" she asked, a slight smile on her lips. _

_Troy's face broke out in a smile. "Yes, it's very good. You look beautiful, Gabriella," he said grinning, kissing her hand._

_End_

Gabriella stumbled into the dressing room, fumbling with the dress in her hands. She took it off the hanger, and started to put it on; desperately wishing it wouldn't tear under her trembling hands. She didn't even bother to look at her self in the mirror, already knowing her reflection. She didn't really care how she looked; no matter how terrible she could appear she knew it was nothing to what she felt inside. Her skin had become a deathly pale, and bags had started to become visible under her eyes. She took a deep breath and stepped out, only to find Sharpay smiling widely.

"Gab, that looks gorgeous! You are definitely buying this one," she squealed, clapping her hands animatedly.

Faking a smile, Gabriella made her way back into the dressing room, her eyes filling with tears. She didn't want to wear this dress, let alone buy it. She wanted to wear a flowing white one; as the bride of Troy Bolton. She saw a tear escape her eye as she looked at her pale, deprived reflection.

----

"Thank you so much for coming out tonight," Troy started his speech as Sharpay tapped on her champagne glass with her fork. "I really want to thank you all for coming tomorrow, to watch me declare my love for the most amazing woman I have ever met," he said, earning a huge round of claps and a kiss on the cheek from Sharpay. "Chad, my man, thanks for always being there for me, no matter how crazy things got. You're my best friend, always have been from second grade. Never forget that. Taylor…" he continued to name off people and thank them, but Gabriella paid no attention.

One sentence stood out in her mind, "_to watch me declare my love for the most amazing woman I have ever met."_ Gabriella repeated in her mind. She sat at the end of the table, across from Kelsi, picking at her food. She had zoned out Troy's speech, not wanting to hear he pledge his love for another person. Suddenly, one simple sentence caused her to be pulled back into his sea of words.

"…And to last, but most defiantly not least, to Gabriella. If it weren't for you, none of us would be here…together. We wouldn't be the people we are today. Thank you so much for always being there for me, being like the sister I never had. I love you," he said, raising his glass towards her.

Gabriella gave a watery smile, nodding and raising her glass also. She knew the last three words were said were completely platonic, though she desolately wished they were not. Everyone 'clinked' their glasses together and took long swigs from their drinks. Gabriella poured herself another glass of wine, before downing the whole thing in one gulp.

Kelsi eyed her weirdly from across the table. "Are you okay, Gabriella?" she asked worried as Gabriella placed her glass down and poured herself another glass.

Gabriella sniffled before looking up at Kelsi. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she inquired, raising the alcoholic drink to her lips.

"Because that's your fourth glass of wine within a half hour," she replied, moving the bottle of wine to her right, in front of Ryan.

"I'm okay, Kelsi. Just overwhelmed from all of the crazy wedding plans, you know?" she asked, as she looked to the head of the table. She watched in envy as Troy whispered something in Sharpay's ear, making her snort out in laughter and kiss him on the cheek. Gabriella couldn't take it anymore. She stood up abruptly, almost tripping over her chair. She regained her balance, and placed her feet firmly on the ground.

"You know what? Um, I'm feeling really tired. I'll see you tomorrow," she said to Kelsi before making her way to the front of the restaurant and walking out.

----

Gabriella threw open her apartment door and chucked her keys on the floor. She dropped her coat and ran into her room, pulling out a box under her bed. She opened it and examined all the possessions it held. On top were her yearbook; red and white with 'East High' scrawled across it in block letters. Her hands picked it up trembling, as tears rimed her eye lids. She opened it slowly, looking at pictures that had been taken during her senior year. There were many of her and Troy; him always having his arm around some part of her body. A tear fell from her eye and hit the page, splattering all over his photographed face. She took a deep breath as she put the book down and reached for the next possession.

There were many pieces of ripped out notebook paper, which had hearts on one side. She unfolded one paper carefully, not wanting to rip it. Once the wrinkled paper was opened, she looked at it, realizing what it was. It was one of Troy's love notes he had written her; she recognized his scrawny handwriting. She felt more tears flow down her cheeks as she reread it. When she was finished, she put it down, and picked up the next note. It was deeper than the last. Not being able to read anymore, she looked up at her nightstand and saw a picture of her and Sharpay. She stood and picked it up off the nightstand, smiling faintly. Another tear fell and splattered on the glass, snapping her back to reality. She gazed at the picture again as she sniffed, and suddenly felt a pang of anger flow through out her body.

She narrowed her eyes at the picture, before throwing it hard at the ground, the glass cracking loudly. She then picked up her yearbook, and tore out all the pages with her and Troy. She ripped them apart; the remains fluttering down the ground slowly. She then picked up the old love notes, and shredded them piece by piece, tears now flowing freely from her eyes. She choked out a sob as she let the bits of the old notebook paper flickered down to the floor.

An hour later, Gabriella dashed into her bathroom, snatching a razor off her medicine cabinet shelf. She didn't want anyone else. If she couldn't have Troy; the person she loved more than anything in this world, what was the point of living? She couldn't love anyone like she loved him, and to use someone knowing she could never feel the same way back killed her inside. She took one last look at her reflection, before grazing the razor deeply across her skin.

----

"Gabriella?" Chad asked worried, storming into her apartment, followed by Troy, Sharpay and Taylor. "The wedding was supposed to start an hour ago," he chanted into the apartment.

No answer.

"You check the bedroom," Taylor instructed Troy, as she continued to search the rest of the apartment.

Troy nodded as he made his way to the bedroom. When he opened the door, what he saw made him gasp. All over her room were pieces of torn paper, a picture frame broken with the glass everywhere, and their old yearbook trashed and thrown aside. But what caught his eye was an envelope on her bed. He neared it closely, and saw that it was addressed to him. He picked it up with shaky hands, and was about to open it when a scream filled the apartment. Troy dashed out of the bedroom, and rushed to where the scream was coming from.

He saw Sharpay and Chad blocking a doorway to what seemed like the bathroom, and in between the cracks of their bodies he could see Taylor sobbing.

"What's going –" he started but stopped in mid-sentence as Chad moved from the doorway, so he could clearly see. On the floor in a pool of blood, was Gabriella, holding a razor in her right hand. Troy immediately felt tears spring to his eyes as he looked at her lifeless form. He fell down to the ground, and took one of Gabriella's hands.

"What's-what's that?" stumbled Chad, referring to the letter in Troy's hands, while trying to control his own tears.

Troy looked down at the letter, and then back at Gabriella. A tear dripped down his nose as he opened the letter with wavering hands. Inside was a letter, addressed to him. Silently, he began to read.

_Dearest Troy, _

_If you're reading this, then I must've not made it to your wedding. I'm sorry. I know you wanted me to be there, as did Sharpay and everyone else, but…I'm not. I'm really sorry. I just couldn't handle seeing you love someone else…someone that wasn't me. And I know that sounds selfish and cruel, but it's the truth. We've always been honest with each other, and…now I'm being honest with you. I love you, Troy. And not like a brother. Like high school; like kindergarten. Have you forgotten when you loved me? When you used to whisper things in my ear? What happened to us, I'll never know. I only know that I was torn apart…and I can't find somebody else, because I know I'll never love anyone the way I love you. To use someone and have them feel for me in a way I cannot return would just be shameless. I wish you the best of luck and happiness in your life, Troy. Please don't miss me too much, because you have a great life waiting for you to live. I am now truly happy you found someone for you to love, because you have so much to give and it shouldn't be wasted. I love you, Troy Bolton, and I always will. _

_Always, _

_Gabriella_

Troy ran his finger over the letter, now having many splotches of water on it. He lifted his gaze to his friends, who were all silently crying. Troy immediately felt guilty; how could he not have seen it? She had been distant from the night they announced his engagement. He tore his teary eyes away from his friends and looked at Gabriella. Her skin was extremely pale, and her body had bruises all over from the lack of nutrition. Troy choked out a sob as he took her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Gabriella," he whispered, looking at her face. She used to be so beautiful, but now here she was; broken and bruised. When had things gone so terribly wrong? Troy let another tear drip down her nose and onto her forehead.

At this exact time, Troy Bolton would be married to Sharpay Evans. Sadly, instead on what was supposed to be the best day of his life, he was sobbing on her tile flooring, holding one of his best friends that had slipped away; out of his life forever.

_The day you slipped away  
__Was the day I found it won't be the same._

A/N: Sad? I think so. Anyway, please review! Thanks!


End file.
